Michael Mann

[Elster88]

Director - filmography
(In Production) (2000s) (1990s) (1980s) (1970s)

1. The Few (2008) (announced)
2. Damage Control (2008) (announced)
3. Arms and the Man (2007) (announced)

4. Miami Vice (2006)
5. Collateral (2004)
6. Ali (2001)

7. The Insider (1999)
8. Heat (1995)
9. The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

10. L.A. Takedown (1989) (TV)
... aka Crimewave (USA)
... aka L.A. Crimewave
... aka Made in L.A.
11. "Crime Story"
- Top of the World (1987) TV Episode
12. Manhunter (1986)
... aka Red Dragon: The Curse of Hannibal Lecter (USA: TV title)
... aka Red Dragon: The Pursuit of Hannibal Lecter
13. The Keep (1983)
14. Thief (1981)

15. The Jericho Mile (1979) (TV)
16. "Vega$" (1978) TV Series
17. "Police Woman"
- The Buttercup Killer (1977) TV Episode
18. 17 Days Down the Line (1972)
19. Jaunpuri (1971)

[Elster88]

Writer - filmography
(In Production) (2000s) (1990s) (1980s) (1970s)

1. Arms and the Man (2007) (announced) (screenplay)
2. Heat (2007) (VG) (pre-production) (creator)
3. The Kingdom (2007) (filming) (story)

4. Miami Vice (2006) (written by)
5. "Robbery Homicide Division"
... aka R.H.D./LA: Robbery Homicide Division/Los Angeles (USA: complete title)
- Life Is Dust (2002) TV Episode (story)
6. Ali (2001) (screenplay)

7. The Insider (1999) (written by)
8. Heat (1995) (written by)
9. The Last of the Mohicans (1992) (screenplay)
10. "Drug Wars: The Camarena Story" (1990) (mini) TV Series (story) (part III)

11. L.A. Takedown (1989) (TV) (written by)
... aka Crimewave (USA)
... aka L.A. Crimewave
... aka Made in L.A.
12. "Crime Story" (1986) TV Series (writer)
13. Manhunter (1986) (screenplay)
... aka Red Dragon: The Curse of Hannibal Lecter (USA: TV title)
... aka Red Dragon: The Pursuit of Hannibal Lecter
14. "Miami Vice"
- Golden Triangle: Part 2 (1985) TV Episode (written by)
15. The Keep (1983) (screenplay)
16. Thief (1981) (screen story) (screenplay)
17. Swan Song (1980) (TV)

18. The Jericho Mile (1979) (TV) (teleplay)
19. "Vega$" (creator)
- High Roller (1978) TV Episode (written by)
20. Straight Time (1978) (uncredited)
21. "Starsky and Hutch"
- The Psychic (1977) TV Episode (written by)
- JoJo (1976) TV Episode (written by)
- Lady Blue (1975) TV Episode (written by)
- Texas Longhorn (1975) TV Episode (written by)
22. River of Promises (1977) (TV)
23. "Bronk"
- Jackson Blue (1976) TV Episode (writer)
24. "Police Story" (1973) TV Series (writer)

[Vic Sage]

Michael Mann - a selected filmography

Micahael Mann is one of the true auteur filmmakers still making movies in Hollywood. His films are stylish, action-oriented tales of violent but sympathetic anti-heroes (whether cops, soldiers or criminals). He has total control over his work, as a writer-director-producer and sometimes even cameraman. And he is one of the few such auteurs with success both in film and TV.

1970s

He began as a TV writer (and later a director, and then creator) of 70s cop shows. He broke through with JERICHO MILE, a TV movie about a convict who becomes a distance runner. It featured the existential anti-hero protagonist who would become a staple of his work.

"Police Story" (1973) (TV Series) - writer
"Starsky and Hutch" (1975-77)(TV series) - writer
"Police Woman" (1977) (TV Series) - director
"Vega$" (1978) (TV Series) - creator / writer / director
"The Jericho Mile" (1979) (TV movie) - writer / director

1980s

In the 80s, in the wake of his successful TV work, he launched his feature film career with THIEF, which may still be his best film to date. The use of saturated color and a Tangerine Dream score gave the story of a principled jewel thief out for one last score (with a doomed dream of settling down to a normal life afterwards) a unique visual and viceral impact. Jimmy Caan's performance (like many performances in Mann's films) is one of the best of his career.

Unfortunately, the film was only a success de estime, and so he then took a directing job for the money, THE KEEP, a failed horror/war movie. He returned to TV and created MIAMI VICE, which once again used music and color in conjunction with fast-paced action and violent protagonists to great effect. MIAMI VICE impacted the culture of the time, giving him the clout to go back to features. MANHUNTER, his adaptation of "Red Dragon", was not the success of Demme's SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, but is an excellent thriller nonetheless. Back to TV, he created the terrific "Crime Story" series, but it bombed quickly. After some other inconsequential work in TV, he returned to features with a bang.

Thief (1981) - writer /exec.producer / director
The Keep (1983) - director
"Miami Vice" (1985)(TV series) - writer / exec.producer
Manhunter (1986) - writer / director (+ camera)
"Crime Story" (1987)(TV series) - writer / producer / director

1990s-present

The 1990s launched Mann's most prolonged (albeit not very prolific) period of success as a feature filmmaker with total control over his work, beginning with MOHICANS, a romantic/ epic/ period adventure that met with great success.

The Last of the Mohicans (1992) - writer / producer / director
Heat (1995) - writer / producer / director
The Insider (1999) - writer / producer / director (camera)
Ali (2001) - writer / producer / director (camera)
Collateral (2004) - producer / director
Miami Vice (2006) - writer / producer / director

Now in his 60s, the diminutive mid-western auteur has come full circle, adapting MIAMI VICE, his greatest TV success, as a big-budget Hollywood feature, with a host of projects currently in development. He's not had a prolific film career, but what he's done has been of a pretty high calibre.